DRINKING WATER
Beyond Meter Reads: Leveraging Temetra For Enhanced Customer Engagement And Conservation
Las Vegas Valley Water District is modernizing conservation efforts with Temetra, using high-resolution meter data to detect leaks sooner, engage customers, and secure water resources amid extreme drought conditions.
DRINKING WATER CASE STUDIES AND WHITE PAPERS
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![How To Conduct Water Quality Analysis For Ozone Disinfection]( "How To Conduct Water Quality Analysis For Ozone Disinfection")
How To Conduct Water Quality Analysis For Ozone DisinfectionBecause ozone is relied on so heavily to oxidize a wide variety of potential wastewater contaminants, water quality analysis during the disinfection process is paramount. Once the ozone process itself is understood, its water quality ramifications and the quality parameters that offer insight into its efficacy can be analyzed and taken into account.
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Harness The Power Of One Bacterium To Remove PFAS From The Environment
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a family of synthetic organic molecules, which are not naturally occurring in nature. Due to the strong carbon-fluorine bond present in these molecules, they are especially long-lived once released into the environment and are resistant to regular chemical remediation methods.
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Prefabricating Plastic Piping For Better Form, Fit, Function, And Financing
Thermoplastic piping systems have long proven their value for certain aspects of chemical and water conveyance at water and wastewater treatment facilities. Maximizing that value by using plastic piping specialists to help engineer and prefabricate the perfect piping designs offers multiple benefits, from pushing the design envelope to optimizing costs and timing. Here are some key factors to consider.
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![TheCloud]( "How The Cloud Is Revolutionizing The Future Of Water Utility Management")
How The Cloud Is Revolutionizing The Future Of Water Utility ManagementWeb-based software services, more commonly called cloud computing or Software as a Service (SaaS), are being implemented globally by users in virtually all types of organizations.
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![paducah-water-case-study-inc-cs-03082-en-1]( "Historic Town Builds A “Smart” Water System With ORION® Cellular And BEACON® Software as a Service (SaaS)")
Historic Town Builds A “Smart” Water System With ORION® Cellular And BEACON® Software as a Service (SaaS)Paducah Water in Kentucky identified a need to upgrade its water system. The utility used a manual reading system for decades and investigated multiple solutions, including touch-read and drive-by systems. None of the solutions met its requirements. “In both of our attempts to deploy new solutions, we found the equipment and systems to be unreliable. We even had to stop our implementation efforts after having installed 1,000 new water meters,” said Bill Robertson, general manager of Paducah Water. “We had to keep looking.” Read the full case study to learn more.
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![GettyImages-845088016]( "Water Sustainability: Encouraging And Enabling Change With Measurement")
Water Sustainability: Encouraging And Enabling Change With MeasurementLearn how the water industry can encourage sustainable use of this precious resource.
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![Itron-City-of-North-Miami-Beach-Florida-Case-Study-1]( "Leveraging AMI To Identify & Repair Leaks In North Miami Beach")
Leveraging AMI To Identify & Repair Leaks In North Miami BeachUntil recently, the City of North Miami Beach relied on traditional walk-up, manual meter reading, and a leak detection service that visited quarterly to survey areas of its distribution system. Surveyors would visit two weeks per quarter, helping city staff systematically go from one end of the 550-mile pipeline system to the other in one-mile sections—it took one and a half years to get through the city’s 25-square-mile service territory. While the city was able to maintain its system and identify leaks, the process was labor intensive and the city understood that automating meter reading and leak detection could be done simultaneously, saving precious time, staff resources, money—and most importantly, water.
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![112855610]( "Seal Rock Conserves Water And Advances Customer Service With Sensus")
Seal Rock Conserves Water And Advances Customer Service With SensusIn this case study, discover how an Oregon water district moved to AMI for better accuracy and response time.
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![APEI_CASE-STUDY_USMC_Winter_Warfare_Training_Center_FINAL-4]( "Applied Cartridge Systems Supplies Arsenic Removal System To UMC Training Center In A Hurry")
Applied Cartridge Systems Supplies Arsenic Removal System To UMC Training Center In A HurryThe Department of Defense's USMC Winter Warfare Training Center needed a new CA Water Board-approved system in a very short time frame.
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![gac filters feature]( "How To Reduce Water Usage When Starting Up A Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) System")
How To Reduce Water Usage When Starting Up A Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) SystemThis article aims to help utilities and municipalities to better understand the startup process and offer solutions to reduce the amount of water needed to get GAC filters online.
DRINKING WATER APPLICATION NOTES
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Municipal Real-Time Water Quality Monitoring9/24/2020
We arm municipalities with actionable data necessary to make informed decisions about water quality in their communities
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Improved Efficiencies In TOC Wastewater Analysis For Standard Method 5310B And EPA Method 41510/16/2014Total organic carbon (TOC) measurement is of vital importance to the operation of water treatment due to organic compounds comprising a large group of water pollutants. TOC has been around for many years, and although it is a relatively simple analysis in theory, operational efficiency is paramount.
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Bardac® LF 18 — A Novel Cooling Water Algaecide10/23/2020
The active ingredient in Bardac® LF 18 is dioctyl dimethyl ammonium chloride. This product comes in two concentrations: -10WT (10% w/w) and -50WT (50% w/w). Several chemical properties of this product yield key benefits that set it apart from other industrial cooling water products. It is a quaternary ammonium compound (quat). Quats are typically low cost and highly effective biocides for a broad spectrum of organisms.
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Reduce Or Eliminate Water Hammer With Valve Positioners5/19/2022
Water hammer, which can occur in just about any pumping system and even steam systems, can lead to pipe breakage, equipment damage or even total system failure. Addressing water hammer at the source is the savviest and most cost-effective way to handle the issue.
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MEGA-STOP Bell Protection System Aids In Pipe Joint Assembly4/13/2021
Water and wastewater piping come in a variety of materials, joints, and diameters. They can meet a multitude of demands and needs for the country's infrastructure.
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VFD Energy Savings For Pumping Applications4/6/2017
In the early days of variable frequency drive (VFD) technology, the typical application was in process control for manufacturing synthetic fiber, steel bars, and aluminum foil.
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Analysis Of Pesticide Residue In Spinach Using The AutoMate-Q40 An Automated QuEChERS Solution10/16/2014
QuEChERS is a Quick-Easy-Cheap-Effective-Rugged-Safe extraction method that has been developed for the determination of pesticide residues in agricultural commodities.
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FLEX-TEND® Flexible Expansion Joints, Features And Specifications12/3/2020
FLEX-TEND® flexible expansion joints are designed to protect structures and pipelines from differential movement whether this movement is earthquake induced or the gradual motion of soil subsidence. This bulletin offers a concise listing and discussion of the important features and materials of the double and single ball assemblies.
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LC-MS Analysis Of PFAS Compounds In EPA 533 After Supelclean™ ENVI-WAX SPE Cleanup8/29/2022
This application note demonstrates the extraction and subsequent analysis of 25 related analytes from water using Supelco SPE cartridges.
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Automatic Rinse Tank Controls10/29/2021
Proper rinsing is one of the most important steps in quality manufacturing or metal finishing. Plenty of low cost, good quality water for rinsing has been available in the past, so rinse water conservation has been largely ignored.
DRINKING WATER PRODUCTS
Harmsco dual-stage carbon cartridges are designed for the reduction of hazardous PFOS/PFAS contaminants from potable water sources and are available in a variety of sizes and flow rates.
The 60" and 66” Mueller® Resilient Wedge Gate Valve offers reduced operating torque and superior resistance to wear and tear that can reduce the performance. With extra-long, bronze wedge guides, the gate slides easily within body channels, supporting and maintaining alignment of the wedge for smooth operation.
Every drop costs you money The estimated cost associated with produced water treatment in the United States is approximately $18B. The cost of cleaning produced water is 300 times greater than municipal waste water and 3,000 times greater than irrigation water.
The Series NXT3000 High Capacity Gas Feed System is a family of vacuum-operated, solution-feed, gas dispensing components including a vacuum regulator, meter assembly and ejector to meet customer needs for feeding chlorine, sulfur dioxide, ammonia or carbon dioxide gas. The Series NXT3000 is a versatile, high quality system which operates at sonic conditions eliminating the need for differential pressure regulation across the rate control valve.
ADVANCE™ Series 200 gas feeders are designed for or automatic gas regulation. Automatic operation requires a simple addition of a motorized control valve.
WRT's Z-92® process is the most effective and environmentally responsible choice you can make for removing uranium from drinking water and the community. That's because after removing the uranium, we dispose of it at a licensed facility
LATEST INSIGHTS ON DRINKING WATER
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![Texas Flag-GettyImages-942623440]( "Meeting Demand, Ensuring Compliance: A Success Story In Executing Fast-Paced Water System Improvements In Missouri City, Texas")
Learn how the Mustang Bayou Service Area (MBSA) Water System Improvements project delivered a fast-tracked, multi-phase response to rapid development and critical capacity challenges in one of the Missouri City’s fastest-growing regions.
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![Legionella pneumophila-GettyImages-1451790531]( "Legionella And The Need For Next-Generation Detection: Steps Water Utilities Can Take To Alleviate The Risk")
As water systems grow more complex and climate patterns shift, Legionella is emerging as one of the most persistent and underestimated risks in the built environment. The threat to public health from Legionnaires' disease will likely further escalate unless decisive action is taken. -
![maasjackson]( "Metering as a Service Improves Jackson, MS, Water Infrastructure")
The city of Jackson faced a water crisis that went beyond the tap. What began as an ambitious plan to modernize its water metering infrastructure in 2014 became a logistical and financial nightmare, costing the city millions in lost revenue and declining public trust. Metering as a Service (MaaS) offered the city an alternative option. -
![leadpipeInground_Getty-2211014580]( "The Final Mile: The U.S. Simply Must Rush To Finish Its Critical Lead-Pipe Cleanup")
There has been an abundance of funding available to address the estimated 9.2 million lead service lines currently deliver drinking water to homes, businesses, schools, and unsuspecting citizens throughout the United States. So it is disheartening to realize that millions of lead water lines are still delivering water to citizens. -
![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, And Savings")
This Q&A follows the Webinar: Beaverton's New AMI Solution Checks Every Box: Operations, Billing, Service, & Savings hosted by Water Online on October 21, 2025. The webinar featured the leadership team from Beaverton Water Division as they discussed lessons learned across operations, billing, and customer service, offering a 360-degree perspective on implementing and managing an AMI system.
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![Digital communication-GettyImages-2042965298]( "AI, Data Centers, And Water")
Amid the AI-fueled gold rush, more leaders are beginning to pay attention to the short- and long-term natural resource concerns, especially around all the water needed to keep data centers running.
ABOUT DRINKING WATER
In most developed countries, drinking water is regulated to ensure that it meets drinking water quality standards. In the U.S., the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administers these standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA).
Drinking water considerations can be divided into three core areas of concern:
- Source water for a community’s drinking water supply
- Drinking water treatment of source water
- Distribution of treated drinking water to consumers
Drinking Water Sources
Source water access is imperative to human survival. Sources may include groundwater from aquifers, surface water from rivers and streams and seawater through a desalination process. Direct or indirect water reuse is also growing in popularity in communities with limited access to sources of traditional surface or groundwater.
Source water scarcity is a growing concern as populations grow and move to warmer, less aqueous climates; climatic changes take place and industrial and agricultural processes compete with the public’s need for water. The scarcity of water supply and water conservation are major focuses of the American Water Works Association.
Drinking Water Treatment
Drinking Water Treatment involves the removal of pathogens and other contaminants from source water in order to make it safe for humans to consume. Treatment of public drinking water is mandated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the U.S. Common examples of contaminants that need to be treated and removed from water before it is considered potable are microorganisms, disinfectants, disinfection byproducts, inorganic chemicals, organic chemicals and radionuclides.
There are a variety of technologies and processes that can be used for contaminant removal and the removal of pathogens to decontaminate or treat water in a drinking water treatment plant before the clean water is pumped into the water distribution system for consumption.
The first stage in treating drinking water is often called pretreatment and involves screens to remove large debris and objects from the water supply. Aeration can also be used in the pretreatment phase. By mixing air and water, unwanted gases and minerals are removed and the water improves in color, taste and odor.
The second stage in the drinking water treatment process involves coagulation and flocculation. A coagulating agent is added to the water which causes suspended particles to stick together into clumps of material called floc. In sedimentation basins, the heavier floc separates from the water supply and sinks to form sludge, allowing the less turbid water to continue through the process.
During the filtration stage, smaller particles not removed by flocculation are removed from the treated water by running the water through a series of filters. Filter media can include sand, granulated carbon or manufactured membranes. Filtration using reverse osmosis membranes is a critical component of removing salt particles where desalination is being used to treat brackish water or seawater into drinking water.
Following filtration, the water is disinfected to kill or disable any microbes or viruses that could make the consumer sick. The most traditional disinfection method for treating drinking water uses chlorine or chloramines. However, new drinking water disinfection methods are constantly coming to market. Two disinfection methods that have been gaining traction use ozone and ultra-violet (UV) light to disinfect the water supply.
Drinking Water Distribution
Drinking water distribution involves the management of flow of the treated water to the consumer. By some estimates, up to 30% of treated water fails to reach the consumer. This water, often called non-revenue water, escapes from the distribution system through leaks in pipelines and joints, and in extreme cases through water main breaks.
A public water authority manages drinking water distribution through a network of pipes, pumps and valves and monitors that flow using flow, level and pressure measurement sensors and equipment.
Water meters and metering systems such as automatic meter reading (AMR) and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) allows a water utility to assess a consumer’s water use and charge them for the correct amount of water they have consumed.